O-2010-3274 council meetings Order of Business Procedure

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Section 1-212. Manner of Addressing Council (A) Time Limit. Each person addressing the Council shall step up to the podium, shall give his name and address in an audible tone of voice for the records, and unless further time is granted by the Council, shall limit his address to five (5) minutes. All remarks shall be addressed to the Council as a body and not to any member thereof. No person, other than the Council and the person having the floor shall be permitted to enter into any discussion, either directly or through a member of the Council, without the permission of the Presiding Officer. No question shall be asked to a Councilperson except through the Presiding Officer. Any such question shall be referred by City Council to the City manager, for further handling. (B) Limits on Repetitive or Redundant Presentations. The City Council shall have the right to place reasonable limits on the number, frequency, and length of presentations made during the comment period, in accordance with law. For such purposes the City Council may limit the number of persons who speak on a particular subject at a meeting, and the length of the individual presentations made, on such topic; accordingly, the City Council may place reasonable limits on the number of occasions that a person or persons speak on a particular subject, at successive Council meetings. Subject to the foregoing, the City Council shall not place limits on discussion of specific subject matter as it relates to any constitutionally guaranteed right of freedom of speech, or otherwise discriminate against a particular point of view. Section 1-213. Addressing the Council After Motion Made. After a motion is made by the Council, no person shall address the Council without first securing the permission of the Council so to do. Section 1-214. Silence Constitutes Affirmative Vote. Unless a member of the Council states that he is not voting, his silence shall be recorded as an affirmative vote. Section 1-215. Decorum. (A) By Council Members. While the Council is in session, the members must preserve order and decorum, and a member shall neither, by conversation or otherwise, delay or interrupt the proceedings or the peace of the Council nor disturb any member while speaking or refuse to obey the orders of the Council or its Presiding Officer, except as otherwise herein provided. (B) By Persons. Any person making personal, impertinent, or slanderous remarks or who shall become boisterous while addressing the Council shall be forthwith, by the Presiding Officer, barred from further audience before the Council, unless permission to continue be granted by a majority vote of the Council. 5